Chapter Two

Kate was glad it was Friday night. Lawrence was out with Angus and Flora tucked up in bed, dinner was over and the clearing up done. Caroline was lying on the couch with her legs draped over Kate and they were enjoying some well earned quiet together.

"Ok let's have it. What's all this about Molly?" Caroline asked in a matter of fact voice.

Kate relayed the encounter, complete with Molly's emotional state and her own reactions to what she had been told. Caroline's jaw dropped as listened to the details, "Oh my God Kate I had no idea that she had ever felt that way about me, how upsetting for both of you."

"So what I would like to know wife of mine, who is this secret girlfriend you had at Oxford that you have never told me about?" Kate asked with fake outrage.

Caroline stayed silent for a few moments and then began to tell Kate the story of her first sexual awakening. Annabelle (or Bella as she was known) was a post graduate student who used to run small tutorial groups for one of the professors. She was a tall, lean, auburn haired beauty and Caroline had felt an instant attraction for this woman which had quickly turned to lust she was afraid to say. The attraction had proved to be mutual and a relationship had started. For Caroline it was like love at first sight; she had grown ever more dependent on Bella and could hardly bear to be away from her, to the point where she believed that this was what she wanted for the rest of her life. However, for Bella it seemed it was just another conquest and after a couple of months she had dispensed with Caroline and taken up a new attraction. Caroline explained that this was the time she had gone home from Oxford so upset and had confided in her mother, who of course had steered her back on to what she thought was the 'right path'. A few weeks after returning to Oxford, Bella became a distant memory for Caroline.

"Wow darling, that must have been so hard." Kate said as she wound her arms around her wife's waist and lifted her face towards her, kissing her tenderly, thinking as she did, 'how could anyone trade this woman in'. After a few kisses, Kate pulled away and said. "Caroline what are you going to do with this revelation from Molly? More to the point how am I going to deal with it at school?"

"Well I guess we need to try to support her somehow as she's obviously not coping. Do you think I should ring her or see her? Caroline asked, searching for her own reactions. She felt a little flattered, a little inquisitive and had the distinct feeling that she wanted to know more about what had happened with Molly at Oxford.

After much deliberating, they decided that Kate would see Molly on Monday and tell her that Caroline was willing to meet with her if she wished to talk about it. Kate would withdraw from the situation as she was feeling too conflicted. She would however give her Amy's details in case she needed some professional help.

They spent the rest of the weekend doing what they loved most, spending time together with Lawrence and Flora, watching Lawrence play rugby and then a pizza lunch with him and Angus; the afternoon trip to the park so that Flora could have a swing and play in the sand. These were the moments that made their life real and committed and forever. It wasn't until they were in bed on Sunday night that Kate brought the subject up again.

"I'm feeling quite apprehensive about seeing Molly tomorrow, Caroline." She had whispered as she lay in Caroline's arms. "Do you think you could contact her during the day so that we can sort all this out and put it behind us?"

"Yep I can because tomorrow I am working from home and so I'll have time. I'll wait until Flora goes down for her morning sleep, so that will give me a chance to talk without interruption and you a chance to catch her in the morning." Caroline answered, slowly and gently slipping a hand inside Kate's pyjamas and whispering, "Before I speak to her, let's be clear about who I belong to."

The next morning when Kate arrived at school she went straight to Beverley's office and asked if she could see Margaret. Beverley ducked into the Principal's office and a few moments later came out and nodded for her to go in. On the way to work in the car she had been thinking of her and Caroline's love making the night before, and it had given her the strength to go in and offer Molly a chance to speak intimately to Caroline about her feelings for her, not something Kate was overly comfortable with if the truth were known. She took a deep breath and went in.

"Kate, how are you? I trust you had a relaxing weekend?" Molly enquired. "Yes I did thanks, although I must admit both Caroline and I did spend a fair while talking about you and how best we feel we can support you." Kate replied. "Caroline is going to call you this morning; it's up to you if you would like to talk with her. I, or should I say we feel that it would be best if I step back from this as it really doesn't concern me specifically. If you were to feel you need some professional help, I have someone I could recommend." It all came out rather quickly but Kate was quite anxious and wanted it over and done with.

Molly seemed rather more composed than she had on Friday. She thanked Kate for her support and said that she would make a decision about speaking to Caroline later, if and when she rang. She also shared that she had spoken with Doug over the weekend and confessed everything to him. Apparently he was very shocked and had asked for some space and time to process the bombshell his wife had just dropped. To Kate, Molly may have looked composed but her voice and eyes betrayed a woman in a world of pain.

Around eleven o'clock, Beverley transferred a call to Molly. As she picked up the phone and heard Caroline's voice, she was again sucked into the vortex of time travel and found herself back in Oxford listening to the woman she had fallen so madly in love with. Yes, over the weekend and after much reflection she had realised that she hadn't just had feelings for Caroline but had been in love with her.

"Molly, how are you?" Caroline asked. "Oh you know I've been better Caroline. I'm so sorry that I have dumped all this on to you and Kate. It is so overwhelming and I'm not sure I know how I can go on." Molly had shared in a voice so strained and sad that it brought tears to Caroline's eyes.

After what seemed a long silence, Caroline proposed that the two of them have dinner together and they made a date for Wednesday evening. They would go to a restaurant in Leeds after Caroline finished lecturing and that way they were less likely to encounter people they knew.

As Wednesday came closer, Kate appeared to get more and more anxious about Caroline's dinner date. Going out with an old friend was one thing but an old friend who has just told you that they are still in love with you is another. Of course she trusted Caroline implicitly but who knew what Molly's expectations might be. Caroline had, continually reassured Kate that all would be ok and was now starting to get a little irritated that she couldn't accept it.

Molly had taken the time to dress in what she felt to be her most attractive outfit that morning and couldn't understand why she was doing it. Shouldn't she be trying to look as least attractive as possible? Doug was barely speaking to her and had gone off to have a long session with their priest to try to get a handle on how he should go forward. Not only did he feel betrayed, he also knew that in his mind his wife's feeling were, well the best he could say, 'not normal'.

Caroline parked the car and walked to the restaurant. It was a small one that she and Kate had sometimes gone to before they lived together. It had small areas which were quiet and relatively private. Molly was already inside waiting for her. She handed the waiter her coat and walked over to the table where Molly already had a drink in front of her. "Dutch courage." She said as she noticed Caroline looking at her glass. Molly stood up and the two hugged each other, Caroline releasing herself from the hug as soon as she could. On the drive to the restaurant it had dawned on her that she did not have feelings for Molly nor had she ever. However, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt the woman or even worse make her feel pitied.

As Caroline sat down her phone pinged, a message, and she had no doubt who it would be from. She looked at it quickly; it simply said 'thinking of you – love you K & F xx.

They ordered their food and a bottle of wine and began a rather mundane conversation trying to catch up with all that had happened in their lives since leaving Oxford. Most of it was about jobs, houses and kids. As they ate, Molly slowly began to unravel all that she had been through in Oxford. She had fallen for Caroline almost as soon as she set eyes on her in the auditorium that day and because she had never had a relationship of any kind before, she was completely consumed by her feelings which terrified her. Then when Caroline had suggested to her that she pursue the relationship and see where it went she did not have the strength or courage to tell her the truth or in fact to let herself try. Her parents' absolute disapproval plus that of her church meant that she would be completely alone if she went ahead. Not going ahead came at great price. She confided in Caroline that she had indeed been on anti-depressants and had even contemplated leaving Oxford altogether.

Caroline listened intently to all Molly was telling her. She felt a kindred spirit to a degree but could only thank God that she had been able to free herself, with Kate's help, to now live the life she was meant to. As Molly finished talking, tears welled up in her eyes and Caroline found herself putting her hand over her friend's across the table. It was a mistake, as she entwined her fingers around Caroline's and held on tightly, staring at her as only a woman in love would do. It was like she was pleading with Caroline for a chance to be near her.

Back at Conway Drive, Kate felt the knots tightening in her stomach. It was already ten thirty and there was no sign of Caroline and her phone was switched off.